1. Field of the Invention
The present teachings relate to electrical cords and, in particular, to a device and methods for maintaining engagement between electrical plug connections.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electrical devices such as power tools, household appliances, and other consumer electronics often possess a cord having a plug to be engaged with a receiving socket such as that found on an extension cord or the like. The cords of these devices are subject to snagging and may be easily disengaged, interrupting the electrical connection and posing a potential safety hazard if the plug becomes partially disengaged thereby exposing the contacts.
To address this issue, it has been suggested to position a retaining structure over the connected plugs or sockets to prevent disengagement of the plugs. Unfortunately, typical retaining structures are not adaptable to fit different sizes of electrical plugs. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,738 to Tillotson illustrates a typical electrical cord securing device that has a securing member attached to the male end of an electrical cord. The securing member is adapted to attach to the mating electrical cord. However, the securing member is not adjustable. Hence, the cord that is to be attached and secured with this device must be sized to the securing device which limits the use of the securing device to just a single cord.
A further difficulty with plug securing devices is that the portion that actually attaches to the electrical cord can become dislodged as a result of force exerted on the cord. It will be appreciated that in many different circumstances, the forces exerted on the cords can be quite large as people are pulling or otherwise flexing the cords. Hence, there is a continuing need to be able ensure that the plug retention apparatus is less likely to become dislodged from the cord or plug.
Yet another difficulty with existing electrical plug retaining devices is that the retaining devices are generally set up for cords having a single plug. In many industrial and construction applications, multiple electrical devices are attached to electrical cords having multiple plug assemblies. Construction applications in particular are very susceptible to cords being dislodged due to the rough use of tools that often occurs in construction environments.
Based on the foregoing, there is an ongoing need for improved securing devices that ensure that electrical cords remain plugged together. To this end, there is a need for securing devices that are less likely to be dislodged from the plugs or cords and are also better able to accommodate multiple plugs and cords.